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Is my Yucca beyond hope?

Hi - we have bought a Yucca back in November, and I think it is pretty much dead. It's our first indoor plant, so we have no idea if it is bad luck or if we have done something wrong. We haven't over watered it.....in fact we have only watered it once shortly after we bought it, as we have read that it needs very little water. It started drooping like this since probably mid-December, and last week the last upright section has flopped over. Ugh. 

When we bought it, we repotted it with soil from the garden. Could it be poor quality soil - it is from the house we have just moved into, so no idea what has been done to the soil. Is it worth repotting it with some new compost/potting mix?

Could it actually be under-watered?? I have heard this is quite rare, and that they can go months with no water and be fine. 

Can it be saved or is it time to go to the land of lost plants? 😵
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Comments

  • teaselMay
    teaselMay Posts: 419 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper
    I'd not give up.on it yet, I've bought plants in that condition and resuscitated them.

    If you stick your finger in the soil what does it feel like?
  • FlorayG
    FlorayG Posts: 1,597 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Never use garden soil, it's completely unsuitable for potted plants
  • teaselMay
    teaselMay Posts: 419 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper
    florayG is almost certainly correct although I don't think I've ever used anything but garden soil for house plants. I'd be surprised if that's the problem though
  • wort
    wort Posts: 1,854 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I wouldn’t give up, I’ve known them to come back. Is it in a draught ? It’s freezing here at the moment even the house is cold most of the time. Or is it too near a radiator? I doubt it’s the soil. I’ve had them come good from the bottom with new growth. I always under rather than over water but it would depend where it’s situated. Once in 2 months seems very little.
    Focus on contribution instead of the impressiveness of consumption to see the true beauty in people.
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,175 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Don't give up, they are tougher than you may think

    I have one that I thought was long dead, it's outside but sheltered, but last year it stated sprouting from the trunk despite never being watered, except by rain, or fed etc, just neglected.

    I'd remove the obvious dead & brown ones to tidy it up, then wait and see, minimum water unless it gets bone dry
    You may find dormant buds will start to grow from the main stem
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • Ok, I won't give up on it yet.

    When I put my finger in the soil it is very dry, cold and loose....doesn't feel like there is much moisture in there.

    What is wrong with garden soil, and what should I use instead? Potting mix? I'm not a gardener at all, so this is all very new to me. I wanted to start growing some dwarf fruit trees as well, but this has made me a bit hesitant!

    It's not near a draft or a radiator at all. It's in the room which gets most sun, though it has been weeks since we have seen any actual sun! When there is sun, we make sure we move it so it gets some direct sunlight, albeit very weak.

    Should I give it any water? All I have read is that they do best with very little water, and overwatering can cause it to look yellow and droopy, which is how it looks now. That is why I have held off, but maybe I have held off too much??

    Can I add some sort of fertilizer to the soil? Shall I replace the soil or not bother?


  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,175 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Garden soil, nothing basically wrong with it, but it may have weed seeds or some nasties in it. 
    For a Yucca it won't matter, for something like tomatoes or some choice plants known sowing or potting compost is advised because it is sterile & has known nutrients in it

    Don't feed it while it is on life support, wait until new growth and then only a little
    It sounds like you have it in best position

    I think what has happened is the plant was grown under ideal conditions, all nice & cosy, then dragged of to a cold shop, and then home to you in November.
    Probably overwatered in the shop and roots disturbed by you repotting, the poor thing just overreached itself and collapsed.

    As I said, leave it alone, keep your hands off it and I bet it will come back

    Regarding dwarf fruit trees, no reason not to buy them, but start another thread and learn from the Yucca. 
    They will do best in the ground, don't be fooled by the pretty pictures of young girls picking yummy peaches off a laden pot grown tree
    And walk first, start easy with something like apples, not peaches
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • teaselMay
    teaselMay Posts: 419 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 10 January am31 10:31AM
    If it were me I wouldn't change the soil that'll primarily just disturb the root system now which won't help.

    I'd give it a mug of water today, if you've some baby bio or similar a little bit of that in the water won't do any harm and might help, but not much you don't want it trying to flourish whilst it mostly needs to stay alive

    Somewhere that sees a window but not too hot or cold, sounds as though probably already in a good place
  • Farway said:

    They will do best in the ground, don't be fooled by the pretty pictures of young girls picking yummy peaches off a laden pot grown tree  

     :D Noted!

    Back to the Yucca....ok, I shall leave it...I won't re-pot or feed. And just to double check...no water at all? teaselMay posted I should give it a mug of water... 

    I will report back with a photo in a week or so....Thank you all, much appreciated. 
  • teaselMay
    teaselMay Posts: 419 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper
    It's a bit of an art rather a science, I would, just a mug though not loads, others wouldn't. Follow your instincts
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